Woman reunited with dog, TV snatched on 1st date

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

DOVER, N.J. (AP) — A woman has been reunited with her Yorkshire Terrier and flat-screen TV that were snatched during her first date with a man she met online.

The woman called police early Saturday to say that her dog, Violet, had been tied by its leash to the TV, and both were left in the front yard of her Dover home, the Daily Record of Parsippany (http://dailyre.co/1eNpgE1) reported. Violet appeared to be in good health.

Authorities say the pair met on a dating site and went out for the first time Thursday night. After returning home, the woman said she became occupied in another room, leaving the man alone. When she returned, he was gone — and so were her dog, valued at $4,000, and her TV, worth about $3,000.

The woman said she knew the man only as "Joel" and believed he lived in Elizabeth. Police said Saturday that they know the man's identity and that charges could be filed, though the investigation is ongoing.

Police said the man used the woman's cellphone, so they dusted it for fingerprints. They also checked other locations that the short-lived couple visited on their date.